Nintendo’s Game Boy Jukebox plays 45 original Pokémon tunes

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company released the Game Boy Jukebox earlier this year to mark Pokémon’s 30th anniversary. The handheld-sized, monochrome replica plays 45 original tracks from the 1996 games. Each song is triggered by inserting one of 45 small plastic cartridges; the cartridges contain no electronics. The unit runs on three LR44 button cells, has no headphone jack and uses nonfunctional buttons and a decorative D-pad.

Each cartridge has a unique pattern on its connector that depresses six pins inside the device. All audio is stored in the jukebox’s internal memory and plays when a cartridge is inserted and the power switch is flipped. The rear of each cartridge carries a small printed scene that appears on the device’s faux screen when the cartridge is inserted.

Included tracks cover early series music and sound effects, including the Title Screen, Pallet Town theme, Professor Oak themes, the Pokémon Center chime, Lavender Town theme, Gym and Gym Leader battle music, Hall of Fame and Ending themes.

The Pokémon Company described the product as “an audio tour through Kanto.” Responses from fans noted the product’s nostalgic link to the original games; other responses highlighted low audio fidelity, the lack of an audio output or headphones option, and the absence of navigation controls beyond swapping cartridges.

The Game Boy Jukebox is part of the merchandise released for the franchise’s 30th anniversary. Its exterior echoes the original Game Boy’s plain, utilitarian look and does not include modern playback features or compatibility with Game Boy game cartridges.